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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29301960">Damn Him</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/flyingnightwing/pseuds/flyingnightwing'>flyingnightwing</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Batfamily (DCU), Covert Operation, F/M, Light Angst, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, Pining, Vigilante</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:55:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,803</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29301960</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/flyingnightwing/pseuds/flyingnightwing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dick Grayson never seems to say the right thing around you, and it’s not quite for the reason you initially thought</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dick Grayson/Reader, Nightwing/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Damn Him</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You looked up from your book when your cellphone vibrated on your desk beside you. You were in the midst of studying for your last exam of the semester, so you had your phone on a strict do not disturb schedule, which meant it remained on 24/7. Your notifications were blocked for any social media, text or calls you might receive, well, except for your one emergency contact: Bruce Wayne. He knew he was supposed to contact you only if he had no other choice but ask for your help, and never had he even used that card ever since you knew him. Reluctantly, you put down you book and marker to switch them for your phone. Turning on the screen, you ignored the various hidden notifications, focusing only on the single line that stared back at you.</p><p>
  <em>Call me when you can - B.</em>
</p><p>Sighing, you unlocked your phone and pressed the contact name, then the phone icon next to it. It rang twice before Bruce picked up.</p><p>
  <em>“(Y/N), how are you?”</em>
</p><p>“A bit stressed out, but it could be worse” You replied truthfully. “What’s up?”</p><p><em>“I hope you know I wouldn’t do this if I had any other solution” </em>He began.<em> “But I need your help on a recon mission, almost all my effective got busted last night”</em></p><p>“Oh my, are they okay?” You frowned with concern, even if he couldn’t see you.</p><p><em>“Yes, don’t worry” </em>He said, <em>“I’ll explain in person, that is if you agree to come. I’d understand if you refused, though”</em></p><p>You rubbed the bridge of your nose and closed your eyes for a second. You owed a lot to Bruce, and since it was a simple recon stakeout, you could take one or two nights off to help him out. You were already ahead of schedule in your studying and confident in your knowledge of the material.</p><p>“Yeah, sure, I’ll be there” You finally answered. “What time do you want me over?”</p><p>
  <em>“As soon as you can”</em>
</p><p>“Aight, see ya”</p><p>You hung up the phone and put it back on your desk, observing it for a second. It had been gifted to you by Bruce after you began going on missions more regularly with the batlings, he said that way he knew for sure all communications would be secure and sheltered from hacking or government surveillance. You had to admit, having an encrypted phone was pretty neat, as it ran entirely on Wayne Enterprises servers and networks. The simple thought of not having to suffer through youtube ads was satisfactory enough on its own to justify the need for it, even if you didn’t join missions as much as you used to.</p><p>You finally stood up and went to change from your yoga pants and loose tank top to black jeans and a sweater, then jumped in your car and drove to the manor. You punched in your code at the gate and took the right to the garages, where you entered a second code to open the doors. Your car was several notches under those parked there, but you had to have something less flashy as not to attract too much attention. Still, it was more than a majority of college students even had. You had to thank Bruce for that too. He wasn’t your adopted father per say, since he found you a few days before your eighteenth birthday, but he still acted like a guardian and mentor for you.</p><p>You jogged down to the batcave, where you instantly spotted a chatty blonde sprawled in a seat, making wild gesture. She sprung up straight at the sound of you coming in and her face split in a wide grin. She jumped on her feet and skipped toward you.</p><p>“Hey giiiiirl” She drawled out excitedly. “Long time no see!”</p><p>“Hey Steph” You chuckled, going for the hug. “Sorry I didn’t call, I have no excuses”</p><p>“Don’t worry about it” She waved off with an airy laugh. She knew how busy school kept you, and how you kind of wanted to separate yourself fromthe vigilante life. “I’m just glad you’re here”</p><p>“So am I” Bruce called from the computers. He gave you a subtle smile, and you nodded back to him. “It seems like we’re in a bit of an impasse here”</p><p>You didn’t miss the quick glare he sent to Tim and Steph, who sheepishly avoided looking back at him. It didn’t seem too serious though, or the air would have drastically changed.</p><p>“Before he says anything, know it wasn’t our fault” Steph hurried to say.</p><p>“We were totally ambushed by Vicky Vale” Tim nodded along.“No idea what she did there, but she was, and she saw right through our disguises.We had to bolt before she exposed us”</p><p>You frowned in confusion. “Okay can someone tell me what is going on here?”</p><p>“Tim and Steph were supposed to go undercover and cozy up with the high leaders of what I have suspicions on good authority are transiting premium grade opium into the US and Europe, and are close partners to Count Vertigo” Bruce began, already exhausted. “But as they said, Vicky Vale was somehow invited to the banquet and singled them out immediately before they could get even near the big guys”</p><p>“My magnificent blond mane attracts way too much attention, I’m afraid” Steph sighed sadly, making you chuckle. “It’s a curse, babes. I tell ya”</p><p>“Keep telling yourself that, Stephi” A new voice came from the top of the stairs. You both wanted suddenly to go back to your books as a big part of why you barely tag along on missions anymore skipped down the stairs. <em>Damn Dick Grayson, damn him.</em> “We all know covert missions are <em>not</em> your strong point”</p><p>“I’m gonna kill you in your sleep, Grayson” She smiled sweetly at him.</p><p>“No, because you suck at being subtle” He returned the grin, just as sweetly if not more. He ruffled her hair as he passed by. “What’s up Timbo”</p><p>He hummed something unintelligible, flipping his brother off. Dick laughed, then almost added something when he finally noticed you. His laughter died down and his eyes widened, and suddenly he looked uncomfortable. “Oh, you’re here”</p><p>“So it seems” You replied as flatly as he spoke. It wasn’t new, you had never known how to act around each other. Did you hate him? Of course not, you had absolutely no reason to. Did you consider him your friend? Hard to say. All you knew was that any and every encounter you had with Dick Grayson was awkward. You got along with Tim just fine, and even Jason when he was still around. You loved Cass and Duke, and you even managed to get on Dami’s good side, or most of the time anyway. But Dick remained a mystery to you, one that had eluded you for years now. You didn’t understand a single thing about that boy, and you doubted you ever would. You’ve had conversations before, loads of them, and you had no doubt he would make an amazing friend, but you couldn’t seem to get past the stage of acquaintances.</p><p>Which was frankly disappointing, because you had been instantly attracted by his charms and easygoing nature when you first met. You had been drawn to him, and you couldn’t try and pretend you hadn’t pinned after him for the longest time. But you hit a wall when his behaviour began changing wildly around you, right around the time you slipped flirts every now and then to let him know that you were into him. Right now, you were just really over his poor attempts at pretending he never noticed it happen.</p><p>“So” Bruce spoke up, breaking the tension that had suddenly arisen in the cave. “Tomorrow night we’ll have a new opening to try and get to them, hopefully without interruption this time. I’ve taken a look at the list, and no reporter was on it. We should be good”</p><p>“But Tim and Steph already got busted” You pointed out. “They’ll know something is up if they show up again”</p><p>“That’s why they will be seen at the Gotham Charity Auction at the museum” He explained, meeting your eyes. “That’s why I called you up. You’ll be going undercover with Dick as husband and wife”</p><p>“What?” Dick coughed almost immediately. “We’re not–” He laughed nervously. “Us? As a married couple? This is ridiculous”</p><p>Your head turned sharply toward him, your eyebrows raised in disbelief. “Wow, thanks a lot for the vote of confidence” You snapped. “I didn’t know being my fake husband was such a terrible perspective”</p><p>“No– Wait– That’s not–” He stuttered, his eyes wide. “I didn’t mean it that way”</p><p>“Sure” You rolled your eyes, before turning to Bruce again. He had an unreadable expression on his face, more unreadable than usually anyway. Tim and Steph stood there in stunned silence, not daring to speak up. “What’s the briefing?”</p><p>Bruce glanced in between you and Dick, before looking back at you again. “Félix Lachance and Stella Gustavsson, they’re the one you need to befriend. Since you’re not known to the public, it’ll be easier for Dick to pass under the radar and not cause an incident like last time”</p><p>“We get it, B” Tim muttered under his breath as Bruce passed you the files with the pictures.</p><p>“I need you to retrieve any information you can” He continued, ignoring Tim’s comment. “Names of business partners, location of transactions, dates, anything, you know the gig. Your occupation and alias if you want one will be at your discretion, I trust you can deal with that. As always you need to be extremely careful as not to alert them, because this is our last chance to get the critical Intel we need to take this down. So I’ll need you at your A game, both of you”</p><p>This was a warning and you knew it. He let you know more or less subtly to put aside whatever was happening between you and behave like adults. You straightened your back and took a deep breath, getting your head in the right mindset.</p><p>“Alright, I’ll be ready for tomorrow night” You nodded as you gathered the files. “Can I stay over tonight? There is no point in trying to study now”</p><p>“You don’t need to ask, (Y/N), you’re always welcome here” Bruce said, a hint of fondness in his voice. He always liked having you around, he said your presence tamed the boys. You nodded and made your way upstairs, finding the room you claimed as your own for about a year, and the same you always came back to when you stayed the night.</p><p>You went to the drawers, fishing out old training clothes you had left behind. You weren’t sure all those were yours, they were probably mixed with pieces you stole from Steph and Cass. In return, they probably did also steal from your drawer occasionally, balancing it all out. You were about to change into something comfy for bed when a soft knock at your door caught your attention. You walked to it and tentatively opening the door, your expression flattening when you saw how it was.</p><p>“Yes?”</p><p>“Hey um” Dick scratched the back of his neck. “I just wanted to say, I’m sorry it came out that way. I just meant that it would be, you know, weird”</p><p>You stared at him blankly. “You’re not helping your case here, Dick”</p><p>“Shit, that’s not what I mean either!” He hurried to say, realizing his mistake. But you were already closing the door. “Please (Y/N)–”</p><p>“Get some rest Dick” You said as you pushed the door closed. You sighed and shook your head before adding in a whisper, “God knows we’ll need it”</p><p>——</p><p>You had done covert missions before, but this was the first time you were operating in such conditions. You finished retouching your hair, staring at yourself in the mirror, wondering whether or not it was more expensive than your total life income. The floor length champagne coloured dress was stunning, tailored to your form and just sparkly enough to let you shine through the design. You suspected the shoes were made especially to fit with the dress, as they resembled its lace and belt colour. You were sporting on top of that a heavy diamond necklace with matching earrings, proving the general high cost of the outfit. Your comm was carefully tucked in your ear, functional and well hidden.</p><p>“Oh my my” Steph whistled lowly. “If I wasn’t dating Timbers I would date you”</p><p>You laughed. “This is the outfit talking. You haven’t seen me tired and puffy in sweatpants just yet”</p><p>“Grump, just take the damn compliment” She playfully poked your exposed shoulder.</p><p>“Alright alright, thanks” You rolled your eyes. “Since it’s gonna be the only one coming from this household anyway”</p><p>Steph wiggled her eyebrows. “Wouldn’t be so sure about that” She said in a sing-song voice. “Your fake boyfriend may have some thoughts too”</p><p>“Ha” You snorted, walking out of your room with her following at your side. “It’s good, that you’re wishful thinking. The boy can’t seem to talk to me without insulting me lately”</p><p>“Trust me, he won’t be able to resist to this bombshell” She gestured at your form. “Dick’s a people pleaser, and looking like a whole five course meal like that, you sure are easy to please if you want my opinion”</p><p>You shook your head, a small grin on your face. Steph had always been your favourite for a reason. She knew how you felt about Dick, but she never meddled. Well, not more than she typically would anyway, and not enough to cross your boundaries. And even then, she had no explanation either for his behaviour. You finally reached the foyer, where Bruce was dressed casually, sleeves rolled up and without a tie, talking to an all dressed up Dick, his hair now dark red and with almost black contact lenses. Your heels clicking on the stairs was what snapped their attention to you; Bruce nodding at his choice of dress for you, and Dick, his mouth slightly agape. You felt Steph gently but excitedly elbowing your ribs.</p><p>“Ah, (Y/N), there you are” Bruce said. “I’m glad to see the dress fits well”</p><p>“Yeah” Dick tried to smile, but it came out more like a grimace. “You look okay”</p><p>You blinked in disbelief as you heard Steph’s facepalm behind you. You closed your eyes and exhaled through your nose, while Bruce shook his head slightly at his son.</p><p>“Yikes” Tim made his presence known. You shared this one word mood immensely right about now. “Way to go D”</p><p>Dick cleared his throat, trying to push back the embarrassment blush creeping up his cheeks. “Uh, shall we go?”</p><p>“That would be preferable, yes” Bruce replied, making Steph choke and cover he laughter with a cough. The way he said it was clearly meant to be a jab to his son’s tactless attitude. “Be careful”</p><p>“Of course” You smiled tightly and all but dragged Dick outside. You’d take one of Bruce’s luxury car to get there, and it was already waiting in the driveway. Dick pressed the door button and slowly, they lifted up to let you in. You slid in the passenger seat without waiting for Dick’s help and you kept your eyes on the windshield in from of you as he began to drive. The ride was silent until he decided to speak again, tentatively.</p><p>“It’s nice to see you all dressed up, for once” He said, still clearly not thinking of his choice of words more carefully. “It’s different. A good different!”</p><p>
  <em>For once? Was he serious?</em>
</p><p>You audibly sighed. “I’m begging you to just stop talking”</p><p>“What?” He objected, confused. “What did I say wrong this time– Oh”</p><p>“Yeah” You replied, your tone clipped and dry.</p><p>“I’m an idiot” He mumbled under his breath. That you could agree on, but you didn’t voice it out loud.</p><p>He couldn’t pull into the driveway fast enough. You slipped on your fake engagement ring as Dick stopped in front of the awaiting valet, doing himself the same thing. You both had a recording device slipped in your clothes, and the ring allowed you to turn it on and off at will, as well as the comm in your ear. You turned both off for the awaiting scan at the entrance, as not to emit detectable frequencies.</p><p>“Ready?” He asked, and you gave him a firm nod. He got out first and rounded the car, opening your door for you as he would be expected to by this particular crowd. You took his offered hand to climb out and linked your arm to his as he gave the keys to the valet in exchange for a ticket. He left a tip before you walked inside, registering to the guest list. You passed the security checkpoint without a hassle and found yourself in the hall where the auction was held. You turned on your comm and recording device again.</p><p>“Recon first, then regroup?” You suggested in a mutter as you were both visually scanning the room.</p><p>“Yep” He replied shortly. “B, copy?”</p><p>
  <em>“Crystal clear" </em>
</p><p>"Good. Let’s go”</p><p>While Dick headed to the bar, you opted for the art collection on display, pretending to scout for potential pieces to bid on. But your eyes weren’t on the expensive paintings and statues, but moved around the room to spot some VIP lounge or area where the big shots might hang out at. There was a room where attendees came and went, but you shrugged it off as there wasn’t enough security for the profile you were searching for. You paused your recon for small talk here and there, and you were in the middle of a casual chat about painted landscapes with an older gentleman when Dick rejoined your side, handing you a drink.</p><p>“There you are honey” He smiled sweetly, his unusually dark brown eyes reflecting the light from the chandelier.</p><p>“Joey, my love, allow me to introduce you to Sir Fernand Bretworth of Essex” His alias flew out of your mouth naturally, then you took a small sip of your drink. <em>Non alcoholic, nice thinking</em>. “We were discussing impressionism and its influence on modern art”</p><p>You wanted to smirk at the clueless look Dick gave you. He was a prodigy in a lot of things, but art wasn’t one. It was more Damian’s thing, or Tim’s if he tried hard enough, but definitely not Dick’s. <em>Take that now. </em></p><p>“Ah, yes…” He replied slowly. “Fascinating indeed”</p><p>“Alright” You let out a small, cover up laugh as your hand rested on his bicep. “My husband has little interest in art, my apologies”</p><p>“No offence taken” He chuckled. “I’ll leave you two, my wife must be looking for me. An old fool like me gets easily distracted!”</p><p>You laughed along with him until he was out of earshot. Then you dropped your hand and turned to him. “Noticed anything?”</p><p>“Yeah, there is a guarded room with special access” He said as you walked deeper into the crowd not to look suspicious. “Only owned of a special pass can go in, and the guards are very thorough”</p><p>“Great” You breathed. “Now let’s hope out lovebirds will come out to mingle”</p><p>“As it turns out…” He trailed off, and instinctively, you began turning your head toward where his gaze lead. He immediately redirected your head back to him with a firm, but gentle touch on your cheek. His hand remained there for about three seconds longer than necessary, until he realized what he did and retracted his arm. You could have almost enjoyed it if he didn’t look like he was touched by literal fire. “Don’t look”</p><p>“Sorry” You mumbled, avoiding his gaze.</p><p>“… They got out, they’re talking to people” He informed you, ignoring what just went down. “You go for Stella, I’ll take Felix. Remember, friendly but not suspicious. Sweet talk your way into spilling the beans”</p><p>“I know” You bit back, your voice low. “Not my first mission, remember? I know what to do”</p><p>“I was just reminding you”</p><p>“Yeah, I got that” You scoffed. “If you don’t trust me, just say so, it’ll save you trouble of babying me”</p><p>“Come on, that’s not–”</p><p>He began arguing, but you walked away before you could slip up and say his real name. It would give him one more reason to come down on you like you were a beginner in need of guidance. You were rusty, not stupid. You didn’t need him insulting your undercover talents as well. You stopped in front of a beautiful emerald necklace that had a start bid of ten millions dollars and took a long sip of your drink, now kind of bummed it was non alcoholic. But that very detail was probably why you felt a presence approaching you from behind, giving you a few seconds to compose yourself and sweep your frustration under the rug.</p><p>“Trouble in paradise?”</p><p>You turned around, surprised. It looked like the voice made you jump, when it was in fact the nature of the question that threw you off, as well as the person who had spoken. Before you could ask, the Stella Gustavsson smiled warmly and nodded to where Dick had been seconds earlier.</p><p>“I saw what happened” She began, and your heart skipped a beat, hoping she hadn’t overheard. “Those frustrated hands gesture are all too familiar. What did he do?”</p><p>You relaxed slightly, for now. “We’ve been having trouble lately, well, more than usually” You explained with a little complicit cock of your head. She seemed to get it. You, on the other hand, knew Dick was hearing everything on his comm, so you decided to go for it. “He’s acting… Weird. Can’t seem to talk to me without irritating me, whether on purpose or not. I’m sorry, I’m venting to a stranger, I can’t imagine how it must look look like.</p><p>"Don’t worry about it dear, I asked” She winked, extending her hand. “I’m Stella”</p><p>“Aleka” You shook her hand.</p><p>“Your dress is stunning, by the way!” She exclaimed. “Which designer?”</p><p>You froze for a second before shrugging. "No idea, my designer got it for me” You brushed off. “As long as it looks good, I don’t care where it comes from”</p><p>“Amen” She said, taking a sip of her champagne. “Although, I need to know the name of your designer. They have amazing taste, and I’m looking for a new one for myself”</p><p>
  <em>Oh shit.</em>
</p><p>“It’s B” You replied instantly.</p><p>“Bee?”</p><p>“Yeah” You nodded, and she looked at you incredulously. “I mean, that’s what we all call him. I’m sure he has a name, but I pay him to dress me, not to know his personal life”</p><p><em>“Harsh, (Y/N)”</em> Bruce said in your ear, and you remembered he had been listening to everything. <em>“But nice save”</em></p><p>She laughed, unaware of the comments from Batman himself. “That is very true. How have I not met you before? I feel we have a lot in common”</p><p>“I sincerely have no idea” You replied, adding a little gasp of disbelief.</p><p>“You’re different from this crowd, I can feel it” She kept going on as you started walking side by side in the exposition room. “Everyone here only cares about petty, trivial things. You have a head on your shoulders, you’re smart. Too bad your man can’t seem to see what’s in front of him”</p><p>You sighed in agreement to hide the fist pump of victory that threatened to come up. Just like that, you had won Stella over. “I don’t know what to do about it. I’ve tried to talk to him, but it just makes it worse”</p><p>“But have you tried to make him jealous?” She suggested with a perfectly shaped eyebrow raised. “There are plenty of young men around, or older bachelors if you’re into that. Flirt with them, make sure he sees you, he’ll come running, take my word”</p><p>“It won’t work, he’s not–” <em>Even my boyfriend</em>, you were about to say, but you saved your fall just on time. Still, you could practically see Dick’s glare in the back of your head at the almost slip up. “Jealous. He’s not a jealous man, he’s very confident and secure”</p><p>“What a shame” She drawled out, going for her champagne again. “Here’s what you can do then. Go to him, take him by the neck and french kiss him like there is no tomorrow”</p><p>You choked on your saliva as she watched you with a mischievous grin. "Excuse me?”</p><p>“It’s guaranteed to work, darling” She lifted her shoulder in an elegant shrug. “Then you hold him off. You’ll thank me later tonight when you’re back at home, just wait and see”</p><p>You were about to argue some more, but her insisting stare told you she wasn’t just going to let it go. So you scanned the crowd for Dick, spotting him casually excusing himself from a conversation group, going for a refill at the bar. You reached him and grabbed him by the elbow, bringing him face to face with you. You made sure your back was to Stella before beginning to explain the situation.</p><p>“I heard” He told you in a mutter, making sure his lips were unreadable under Stella’s stare from the distance.</p><p>“Then you know what she expects” You sighed, slipping your hands behind his neck. “It doesn’t have to be deep, just convincing. Can you do this without grimacing?”</p><p>You thought he would stumble into some weak apology, or say something clever. He did neither, instead dived straight for your lips so quickly it was you who was taken by surprise. Naturally, all you could do is kiss him back and <em>try to keep up with him</em>. At some point you thought he would break off, but you weren’t prepared for him to actually deepen the kiss. He wasn’t letting you go, and it made you dizzy in all the best ways. Let’s say you were thankful for his arm around your waist right about now. Finally, you still had to breathe, so you parted reluctantly.</p><p>“What was that for?” You asked, your eyes still dazed.</p><p>“An apology for irritating you unintentionally” He grinned boyishly, for probably the first time ever directed at you. “I’m an idiot”</p><p>“Can confirm” You replied, bringing him down on your lips again. This time, it was a bit shorter, but the spark was still very much present. “You should have done this a long time ago”</p><p>“I know” He nodded, his head slightly down and his puppy dog eyes shining even underneath the dark contact lenses. “You’re a bit intimidating, I didn’t know how to act”</p><p>You let out a loud laugh at his confession. “You’re kidding”</p><p>He pouted.</p><p>“Me?” You repeated. “But you're– You’re you!”</p><p>“Well, duh” He chuckled. “You’ve got me all tangled in here,” He pointed at his chest. “Made me nervous all the time”</p><p>You melted just a little bit at his little display, before remembering doing this was a specialty of his. You were just not used to be on the receiving end of it. “You’re lucky you’re cute, and that I’m already sold on you”</p><p>The bright grin returned.</p><p><em>“As heartwarming as this moment is, please focus on the task at hand”</em> Bruce’s stern voice echoed in your head, and you were suddenly reminded your conversation had been integrally transmitted to him.</p><p>“Right, sorry” Dick apologized sheepishly.</p><p>“See, I told you”</p><p>This time, you were taken by surprise by Stella walking on you. Even Bruce’s intervention hadn’t quite brought you back to reality. <em>Damn Dick Grayson, damn him</em>. You turned around, trying to hide your flustered state and instead focusing on the tall gentleman at her side. <em>Must be Felix Lachance</em>, you thought.</p><p>“It works every time” She added, sipping from a new glass of champagne.</p><p>“You were right” You let out an airy laugh. “Stella, this is my husband Joey Moore. Joey, this is my new friend Stella”</p><p>They shook hands before she introduced her husband to the both of you. You already knew his name, but you both pretended you didn’t for the sake of your covers.</p><p>“Nice to meet you two” Félix smiled politely.</p><p>“Hey, would you like to go for a drink after this?” Stella asked. “I sure would like to get to know you two better”</p><p>Dick and you exchanged a glance, knowing you had locked the target. Acquiring intel from now on would only be a piece of cake, the base was laid for further actions. You smiled, returning your glance to Stella.</p><p>“That would be absolutely lovely”</p>
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